Roofing Company Blog: Brian Chalsma

We headed out to Newport News, Virginia, where the combination of coastal moisture and older architecture always keeps us on our toes. Brian uncovered a classic example of why a popular home makeover trend actually spells serious trouble for local homeowners.

If you’ve lived in Hampton Roads for any length of time, you know that our weather doesn't play favorites. Between the salt air in Virginia Beach and those heavy Nor'easters that rattle the windows in Newport News, your roof is under constant pressure.

The Problem Brian visited a commercial property in Chesapeake, Virginia, to investigate persistent leaks on a flat roof. Upon inspection, he found exactly what we call "roofing in a bucket"—layers of thick, mismatched sealant applied haphazardly over various sections.

During a walk-through, Brian Chalsma spotted a situation that makes any experienced roofer cringe. A low-slope (or "flat") roof was tied directly into a shingle ridge vent. While a ridge vent is a fantastic tool for keeping your attic cool, it was never designed to live at the bottom of a slide.

The Problem When Brian walked up to this roof in our corner of Virginia, he noticed something that looked like a simple spot of wear on the shingles. As he got closer, it was clear that critters had chewed right through the material, creating a hidden doorway into the attic.

It is a common sight across Yorktown: a roof that looks perfectly fine from the driveway but tells a completely different story once you’re standing on it. When we looked at a local condominium complex recently, we saw exactly how deceptive a 20-year-old roof can be.

Here at the base of the historic Star of the Sea Church at Fort Monroe, we were looking at a piece of Tidewater history that has survived since the 1800s. But once we looked past the majestic view, we saw a roof that was literally bending under the weight of time.